Awakening
by PomTopTaiga
Summary: Harri Potter comes into a painful creature inheritance on her 15th birthday, but with the help and support of some surprising newfound friends (dare she say family?) she just might get through this okay. (Not book compliant) Fem!Harry, bit of Severitus, Draco/Harri, nice malfoys, creature fic
1. Chapter 1

Hey, anybody reading this:). This is my first fic I hope you like it and I apologize in advance for any and all grammatical mistakes :0 this chapter is a bit short but I

plan for them to be longer in the future;))

Summary:

Harri Potter comes into a painful creature inheritance on her 15th birthday, but with the help and support of some surprising newfound friends (dare she say family?) she just might get through this okay. (Not book compliant) bit of severitus and Draco/Harri, nice malfoys, creature fic

Chapter One: Birthday Disaster

Pain. That was all she knew. She was no longer Harri Potter, The Girl Who Lived, Savior of the Wizarding World. She was pain. Fiery agony burned through her, setting fire to every nerve in her body. She was sweating, conscious but unaware of everything around her. It was her birthday. Not that she was really thinking about it at the moment, she wasn't thinking much of anything other than that she wished for the pain to end. But it was her _birthday._ Why couldn't she have one pleasant birthday, _just one?_ It seemed every year something went wrong, whether it be something magical or her dreadful relatives. She didn't even understand what was happening. Earlier that night she had been knocked around a bit by her uncle and Dudley, nothing too terrible. Nothing out of the ordinary, he even went a bit easier on her tonight, although Dudley still managed to leave her with a black eye. After she was sent to her room, where she dug out a few treats sent by Mrs. Weasley special for her birthday. She had managed to sneak them and Hedwig back in, and manage to hide them under her loose floorboard for tonight. As she was getting them out she was struck by this debilitating pain, which leads her to where she is now; writhing in half unconscious agony on her bedroom floor, unable to even scream. She could feel herself beginning to loose consciousness, and she didn't even attempt to hold on, aching for the sweet release from the pain unconsciousness would give her. With that last thought Harri gave in to the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note:

Second chapter hope you guys like it, it is longer than the first and I plan on getting the third up shortly.

Also I just wanted to thank Gurgaraneth for my first ever review:))))) thanks:D

 _Italics for Harri's thoughts_

Chapter Two: Revelations

When Harri awoke she was on the floor. She blinked, her mind fuzzy and she attempted to sort through the happenings of the previous night. "Bloody hell", she mumbled to herself pressing a hand to her head in attempt to soothe the splitting headache cutting through her brain. She froze when she realized she couldn't bring her hand to her head. Her hand was gone.

She looked down. There on the floor, a surprisingly short distance from her face, was a small, obsidian black paw. She took deep breathes trying to remain calm. _This is a dream, this_ has _to be a dream. There is no way this is real. When I wake up everything will still be completely normal. Just fingers, and toes and the wretched Dursleys making my perfectly_ human _self miserable. Everything is fine._ She closed her eyes and opened them again, squeezing them as tight as she could. She would pinch herself if she could. _Why does this kind of stuff always happen to me. The terrible, horrible, wretched Potter luck. I hate my life._ She sighed, deciding to face reality. _So this is really happening. Okay. This is fine. I can do this. I just need to tell Dumbledore, he will fix this. It's going to be okay._

With those thoughts on the surface of her mind Harri attempted to get up. She gave a strangled sort of yelp at the pain ripping through her body when she moved. Pushing past it— she had been through _much_ worse than this— Harri stumbled her way to her feet. Her _four_ feet. _What the hell is happening?! What am I?! What happened to me?!_ Steeling herself— _she would_ not _cry. She wouldn't—_ Harri shuffled forward, terribly off balance and swaying from the pain. She needed to make her way to her desk, she needed to send a letter to Dumbledore. Everything was going quite well, painful and slow, but she was getting there. Until she tripped over the loose floorboard and went sprawling down in a painful heap. She let out a strangled yelp at the agony that shot from the tips of her toes all the way to the tip of her tail (which she is still unaware of). But no pain could compare to the icy fear that shot through her body when she heard the awful barking belonging to only one possible dog and the terrible thumping of footsteps. The terror drowned out the screeches of,"Freak! What are you doing up there?! Shut the hell up before I come up there and bloody well make you!" This was because she had forgotten. Aunt Marge was coming today. And by the sound of it, she was here.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Escape

 _I have to get out of here, what am I going to do?! She's going to find me and they're going to kill me!_ Harri was panicking, unsure of what she should do. She dove under the bed in hope that they wouldn't see her, but she knew with Ripper coming there wasn't much of a chance. _I always hated that dog, and now he's finally going to kill me. And if he doesn't the Dursleys and Marge will finish the job. Again, why do these things always happen to me._

The door slammed open, rattling the hinges and hitting the wall so hard chipped paint fluttered from the ceiling to the floor. Harri's shaking increased, rattling her body so hard her teeth chattered and she held her breath. Ripper burst through the door howling and snarling, with Aunt Marge thundering in behind him. "Girl! Where is the little freak?! Find her for mommy Ripper! Dig the little freak out of whatever hole she's managed to hide in." Harri's heart fell into her stomach when immediately Ripper came charging towards the bed. Everything was a blur, one second she was hiding safely under the bed, and the next ripping pain tore through her as she was dragged out from her spot under the bed.

Everything was muddled as Ripper continued to bark, biting her and still dragging her towards Aunt Marge. Aunt Marge's shrieks and yelling from the Dursley's as they stormed up the stairs, sounding like a herd of elephants. _This is it. This is how I finally die. It's almost funny, I survive Voldemort, and dozens of other insane things, yet here I am. About to be murdered by my own family._ Surprisingly it didn't hurt too much. They had never really been much of a family. The Dursleys had always hated her, even when she was too young to even understand what hate was. But she had learned quickly, by the sting of Uncle Vernon's belt, or Aunt Petunia's frying pan, or even Dudley's fat little fists. _No_ , she thought. _They were never family._ And maybe that's why she didn't feel so bad about this whole situation. She didn't feel betrayed because she had never trusted them. Sure she was afraid, terrified really, she didn't want to die. But there was nothing she could do. No amount of fear or crying would stop what was sure to happen. And yes, she would struggle, she wouldn't make it easy for them, but there was also a sort of acceptance she felt. For her death. And that scared her more than everything.

She felt determination surge through her as she was yanked up by the scruff of the neck, quite painfully, by Uncle Vernon. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to make it easy. There was screaming and chaos as she squirmed and scratched at him to no avail. "That filthy little freak brought one of her freaky pets into my house and had the nerve to _leave?!_ When I find her I'll beat some sense into her freaky, little, air filled head! Vernon boomed. "Lets kill it Dad! And show her what happens to _freaks_ and their freaky pets!" Dudley squealed, laughing and sweating from too much excitement. Vernon tightened his hold on her and started storming down the stairs. "Petunia! Get me a sack that'll hold this monster", Uncle Vernon yelled, and Aunt Petunia came running in with a burlap sack, just large enough to stuff her inside.

Harri yowled and struggled but with a punch to the head and a large hand squeezing the life from her she was jammed into the sack, that was quickly closed and tied shut. Uncle Vernon hollered on his way out the door, "I'm going to throw it off the bridge and into the water, it'll never survive that, a _freak_ or not. Stay here I will be back soon, rid of this filthy thing." Harri could hear the muffled voice of Aunt Petunia apologizing to Aunt Marge and the whiny voice of Dudley pouting that he wanted to go help get rid of the freak's freaky pet. That's all Harri heard before the door was slammed and she was thrown roughly onto the floor of what she assumed was the car.

The drive was short and had Harri being thrown about and trying not to cry out every time one of her wounds was jostled. Uncle Vernon came to a jerky stop and she heard the car doors slamming before her sack was snatched up and she was taken out of the car. Harri felt fear shoot through her, wondering what her Uncle was about to do. She braced herself and not a second later she felt herself flying through the air. There were a few wonderful seconds where she was airborne and free before she came down hard with a splash into the terrifying, cold water below. Harri squirmed and struggled, holding her breath, but nothing was working. She was trapped, drowning, and she was going to die. Harri felt water fill her lungs and saw darkness blurring her vision. She gave her last bit of energy to a few more halfhearted attempts of escape, before letting herself fall into oblivion.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note:

This chapter has some Snape and Malfoy action;))) Poor Harri I'm so mean

 _Italics for Harri's thoughts_

Chapter Four: Survival and The Search Begins

When Harri came to she was on the bank of the river hacking and coughing her lungs out. Her mind was buzzing, still unsure of what exactly had happened and _how_ it had happened. _How am I even alive? I should be dead at the bottom of that river._ Harri shuddered thinking about what could have been. _Maybe it was my accidental magic? Like when I ended up on the roof that one time Dudley and his gang were chasing me. Yes, that must be what happened. There's no other explanation._ Harri let out a deep huff of air. _Well, I'm alive. Now what do I do?_

At first relief had been the only emotion she could feel, but now that she could think straight, fear and dread were sinking into her stomach. _What am I going to do? I have nowhere to go. I'm not even in my own body, no one would even recognize me if I did find someone._ Harri was starting to hyperventilate, panic setting in and chilling her to her bones. _I don't even know where I am._

Harri looked around seeing that she recognized nothing around her. The bridge was gone, and she couldn't see any sign of civilization. _Did the river sweep me down this far? Or did my magic take me to a completely different place._ Whatever had happened she was far from home. And alone. And afraid. Harri took a deep breath and pushed herself onto her shaky legs. She walked, unsteady, towards the water. _What do I look like? I never got the chance to actually see myself. I feel like some sort of feline. But I think I'm to large to just be a house cat. What am I?_ Harri felt nervousness wash over her when she finally reached the water. Looking down at her reflexion Harri was shocked. Looking back at her through the ripples of the water, was what looked like a panther cub. She was small, though larger than a house cat, and much sturdier. A black feline face was staring back at her, rounded ears, big black eyes, and after opening her mouth she discovered small fangs. Turning around she finally noticed her tail, and found herself chasing it trying to get a better look. _This is so strange. Why am I like this? Could it have been some sort of fluke animagus transformation? I don't think that's even possible. What am I going to do._

Feeling exhaustion wash over her Harri decided there wasn't much she could do in her state and went to try and find somewhere to rest for the night. She walked towards the tree line, and stopped. She stared into the deep forest, fear flooding through her again. She didn't know what was in there, there could be creatures of any sort lurking around every corner, waiting to snatch up a small creature like herself for a snack. For all she knew there could be magical creatures in there, as well, like the forbidden forest. _I'll just stay close by the water. I can try and follow the river tomorrow and see if I can find my way back to civilization._ Harri was trying very hard not to think about if she was even close to where she was dropped or if she would ever find her way out. _I will. Everything is going to be just fine. Tomorrow I'll find my way out of here and get to the wizarding world. Then everything will be okay._ Harri picked her way along the tree line looking for some sort of hollow she could curl into for the night. With a spot of luck (finally) she found a small hollow in the base of a tree not too far from the water. It was just big enough for her to curl into and she was soon asleep, drifting away on thoughts of staying with Ron or Hermione for the remainder of the summer.

Malfoy Manor

"I can feel it Father, somethings wrong! I know it!" Draco exclaimed, agitated, to his father. "Well what would you have me do Draco? Where are we supposed to go? _What_ is it that feels wrong?" Mr. Malfoy frustratedly told his son, "We don't know what it is or where it is. The rational thing to do here is wait and see if something else comes to you. That may help us get a better idea of what to do next."

A few feet away was Severus Snape, pacing the floor in an agitated manor quite similar to the youngest Malfoy. "But _Father_ something is in danger! I know it! I'm not sure what or who it is but something is wrong and we need to help whatever it is. It's important, I know it is! I think we should at least go around and check our borders. I don't know why but I feel that whatever it is, is close. We just need to find it." Severus chose this moment to speak up. "I agree with Draco, Lucius. I don't know why but I feel it to. The feeling I have is similar to the bond I had with. . ." Severus shook his head as if shaking the thought away. "Nevermind that's impossible. But I agree that something should be done. I will go into the forest and check all the borders. It'll take me four to five days. If I'm not back by the morning of the sixth day something is wrong. I'll find whatever is wrong, and if I don't, we can search elsewhere."

Lucius nodded in agreement but Draco protested. "But I want to come too! I can feel it so I might be able to help! Please let me come!" Draco shrunk down at the growl from his father. "Draco we have discussed this before. You are not yet old enough to go on ventures such as this. Though you're human form has matured into a young man you're Other Half is but a cub. If you were to have to defend yourself you could not. You know this Draco." Draco shrunk down even more, if he had his feline ears they would be pressed flat to his head. "I know", he mumbled, "But I want to help find it. Something bad has happened and it's driving me crazy. I just want to help." Draco whispered, and Severus stepped towards him putting a hand on his shoulder. "And you will be helping. By staying here, safe. I won't have to worry about you and I'll be able to search quickly. You already have helped, checking the borders was your idea." Severus reached a hand out and affectionately ruffled Draco's hair. "Everything will be okay and I'll be back before you even notice I'm gone." Draco threw his arms around Severus's waist in a hug. Over Draco's shoulder he saw Lucius smirk at him, "You've gone soft in you're old age, my friend", Lucius snickered. Severus let out a low growl, "Maybe so, but my threat to skin you in your sleep and use your organs as potion ingredients still stands." Lucius gulped and help his hands up. Taking a few steps forward he engulfed his old friend in a hug of his own. "Stay safe and come back to us quick", he whispered. Stepping back he proclaimed, "Now best get going before Narcissa gets back. Then you'll never get out of here." With one last wave, Severus made his way towards the edge of the forest where he shifted into an enormous, obsidian black panther and made his way into the forest.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note:

So I decided to change one of my genres from romance to family. While I am planning on having some romance between Draco and Harri, this story is going to be more focused on Harri's relationship with Severus (NOT romantic) but maybe in the future I'll wright a second story for this series that is more focused on Harri and Draco's relationship. This is partially because I'm having their species age more slowly than humans. This is why Harri and Draco are both still cubs. So there may be a bit but nothing too sirius. *hehe* get it. . . Sirius— yeah you get it, not like no one has made that pun before. Ha, welp I'm gonna end on that note before I cringe to death;))) Hope you guys enjoy:))

Disclaimer:

I just realized I have been forgetting this in my previous chapters. Ha oops:/ So I obviously do not own Harry Potter. Credit for that goes to JK Rowling;))

 _Italics for Harri's and Severus' thoughts_

Chapter Five: Lost and Found

Harri woke to bright light shining on her face. She blinked, clearing the sleep from her eyes. Harri got up, stretching out like the cat she was, and walked towards the water to get a drink. _I still can't believe that's me. It's crazy. Well, then again this is my life. It seems something insane is always happening._ Looking down at herself she took in all of her injuries. There were more than she had first thought. She had noticed her sprained front and back legs when she walked over, but she didn't see all the others. She had gashes littering her entire body, and as she twisted to get a better look at herself she registered a sharp, aching pain in her chest/rib area. She probably had more bruising she couldn't see, as she ached everywhere.

 _I can't worry about this right now. The only thing I can do is try to get out of here. Then I can get fixed up. Besides, I've had worse than this._ Harri shuddered, _much worse._ She shook herself and started walking along the river _hopefully if I just keep walking this way I'll eventually get back to some sort of city. I hope this river is straight. And with any luck I'm walking in the direction I first "fell" in from._ To bad Harri seemed to be a very unlucky person.

Severus had been searching for two days. So far he hadn't seen anything but he hadn't given up hope. He hadn't even searched half the land yet, so there was still a chance he would find whatever the disturbance was. _I don't understand how this is possible. I haven't felt anything like this since my bond with Lilly was broken. This feeling is driving me mad. It's almost the same. . . but it has a different feel to it. I can't describe it. I do feel the danger like Draco. . . but it doesn't feel like it's a danger to us. More like it. . . or they. . . are in danger. And I don't know why but it feels important._ With that thought on his mind Severus picked up the pace and began to focus more on his surroundings, scanning for anything out of the ordinary.

Harri had been walking for four days. She had taken rests when night fell, but hadn't gotten much sleep. Unlike the first night she hadn't found anymore places to take shelter and it had been raining constantly since the second night. She had been shivering constantly, soaked to the bone and her injuries were aching terribly. She didn't know how much longer she would last. It was only getting more dark and cold by the second. _I guess I better try and find somewhere to stay tonight._ She didn't have much hope for a decent shelter though. She wanted to get out of the rain and somewhere warm more than she thought she had ever wanted anything. Other than maybe having her parents back. But she wanted it bad. What she wouldn't give to be dry and warm. She shivered at the thought and attempted to shake to water out of her fur, for what seemed like the millionth time. Like all the other times; it didn't work. She walked along the tree line for a bit before deciding to just curl up against a large tree. She pressed herself as close to it as she could, trying to make herself near invisible and contain all the warmth she possibly could. _This is going to be another long night,_ she thought with a shiver.

Severus had been searching for four days to no avail. There was only one border left unchecked and he was almost there. Night had already fallen, but he decided to push on and get there tonight so he could head back in the morning. It had been rainy and miserable and he had found nothing. This entire excursion had been a waste of time. He doubted anything was even here on the property, the only reason he had for finishing out the search was his own perfectionist nature. Severus was knocked out of his pessimistic thoughts by a strange smell. Stopping he breathed in deeply. He smelled. . . another panther. . . young. . . probably female. He started to move quickly following the scent afraid to lose it in the rain. It had to be fresh to still be present.

He came to the edge of the forest near the river. The smell was especially strong here. Severus walked along the trees looking closely. The smell was so strong he could practically taste it. Severus was creeping slowly scanning the trees. Thank Merlin for feline night vision. He froze. There, huddled at the base of a tree, a few feet away from him, was a tiny, little, black form, tensed and shivering. He stared. And staring straight back at him were two wide, glowing, emerald green eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: This chapter is rated T for some cursing. I mean if anyone has a reason to curse it's Harri.

 _Italics for Harri and Sev's thought_

 ** _Bold italics for mindspeak_**

Chapter Six: Rising Instincts

Harri had been drifting off to sleep when she heard leaves crunching and what sounded like soft footsteps. Freezing, she sat as still as she could while trying to find what was making the sounds. And when she did finally see it she really wished she hadn't.

There, standing only a few feet away from her was a massive panther. And it was staring straight at her. Harri felt her heartbeat quicken as she started to panic. _Please don't eat me!_ She tried to say, but it came out as a pathetic, little mewl. She stood up, fur puffing up when it took a few steps closer. _What do I do! I can't outrun it! And I definitely can't fight it off! Is it going to kill me? After everything thats happened is_ this _going to be how I finally die?!_ Harri let out a pathetic hiss when it took another step closer, whimpering when it didn't stop.

 ** _Calm child I'm not going to hurt you._** The words almost seemed to have sounded in Harri's mind. What. The. F***. _Holy shit what is happening. After everything that's happened now_ this?! _Bloody hell am I losing my mind?! I must be going completely mad! I'm imagining a_ panther's _voice in my head! Telling me I'm okay before it eats me!_ The panther moved forward again, now only a few steps away from Harri, who is cowering and pressing herself against the tree. **_Really cub, I mean you no harm. I am speaking to you with mindspeak. You will be able to do so yourself someday when you're older. I only wish to help you, so please do not be afraid._**

Harri narrowed her eyes in suspicion. He (she now realized) might be the same as her. She didn't think he was an ordinary panther if he could speak to her with her mind. Which she still hadn't completely convinced herself was real. But what did she have to lose. It was either trust him and die or not trust him and die. There was no possible way she could see herself escaping.

She have him a slight nod of her head to indicate that she was listening and willing to accept his help. He seemed to breath a sigh of relief as he finally closed the distance completely between them. **_Thank you. I swear on my magic that I will cause you no harm. Now it looks like you're injured, may I check to make sure they are not to serious._** Harri gave a slight nod, but tensed when he brought his head down closer and nosed at her wounds. She let out a small hiss when he touched a particularly sore area. **_I apologize. It seems you are more hurt than I first thought. You seem exhausted as well. I don't know how you've even survived this far. It looks as if you haven't eaten for weeks._** He seemed to be restraining himself from asking her how she got hurt, knowing that she couldn't answer. He was growling a bit, and she shrunk away from him. He seemed to realize her fear and instantly calmed himself. **_I'm sorry cub I'm not angry at you. Just at whatever lowlife scum would stoop to hurting a cub. My kind is very protective of our young and seeing you in such a state. . . Sets off some of my more protective instincts._**

Harri was shocked. No adult had ever shown such concern for her before, other than maybe Mrs. Weasley. Even if he was. . . Not exactly a human adult. She would take what she could get. **_I know of somewhere to rest for tonight somewhere with a little more. . . coverage._** He said, looking at her very open tree area she had chosen to sleep.

Did she really want to leave her river with him? What if he was lying, he seemed nice but so did a lot of other liars. She looked along the bank. No sign of anything mildly populated. Who knew how many more days it could be and she already hadn't eaten for over a week. The Dursleys had been starving her before she got kicked out and she sure as hell hadn't found anything out here.

At one point of desperation she had seen a mouse and tried to catch it but ended up failing. That was probably for the best though. Well she was in a die-die situation here. At least with him she had at least a little more of a chance at not dying. He hadn't killed her yet and he definitely could have. That seemed like a good sign. She hoped.

Harri once again nodded her consent. She let out a embarrassingly high pitched yelp, when she was suddenly hoisted into the air by the scruff of her neck with no warning. **_You are injured and exhausted. We will get there much faster this way._**

Harri scowled and squirmed a bit, before going limp in his jaws. Almost instinctively she curled herself into a ball making herself smaller. Her last thought before drifting into unconsciousness, as she swayed side to side, was that this was surprisingly comfortable.

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Severus was in a state of shock. He was walking in the forest, in the wee hours of the night, with a tiny, snoozing cub in his jaws. She brought out instincts he had never felt before, not even with Draco. The rage he felt seeing her injuries had shocked him, along with the surge of ferocious protectiveness. He still couldn't even believe how gently he had spoken to her. _Maybe Lucious is right,_ he though wryly, _maybe I am getting soft._ He snorted at that and vowed to be even tougher on his students this next year. He almost purred thinking of different punishments he could bestow upon the Gryffindors.

He was knocked from his pleasant thoughts by a whimper. The cub was beginning to squirm and whimper. _Maybe it's a nightmare._

 _I better hurry up and get us to the hollow._ Up ahead Severus came upon a giant oak tree, that was hollow near the bottom big enough for them both to fit comfortably inside.

Severus crawled in curling up and nosing the sleeping cub towards his stomach. He curled around her, purring and grooming her softly to calm her from her nightmares. It worked and she was soon drifting into a peaceful calm sleep, now purring a sweet, small purr herself. Severus settled down into sleep, feeling utterly peaceful for the first time in many years.

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Harri didn't wake from when she fell sleep in the other panther's jaws falling straight into her nightmares. She vaguely registered the feeling of being cradled in a soft embrace and felt herself being stroked, soothing her from her nightmares and pushing her into a dreamless sleep. For the first time in a very long time, Harri went to sleep feeling safe and warm. At peace.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry this update took a while. My schedule has gotten busier and will continue to be so my updates will probably become a little more sporadic. I was also working on a different one shot idea. . . hehe. Welp, sorry for the wait hope you enjoy!

 _Italics for Harri and Severus thoughts_  
 _ **Bold Italics for mindspeak**_

Chapter Seven: Almost There

When Harri woke up she was more comfortable than she had been in a long time. And warm. So warm. It was wonderful. She came to her senses and started to squirm. Her memories of last night suddenly rushed back to her and she froze. The panther seemed to be waking up. He was curled around her— very comfortably, she'd never admit— and she couldn't move. He made a grunting noise and started to shift. His head came up and he blinked, looking down at her and then his head started moving towards her.

She started to try and squirm away, fear shooting through her body. He only pressed her down and started to groom her. She froze in shock, relief that he wasn't eating her flooding her body, but also confusion as to what he was doing. She thought it was strange but it was also weirdly comforting in a way she couldn't explain.

He began to get up and grabbed her scruff pulling her out from under the tree. Once out, he set her down and began to speak. _**Good morning Little One. Today we will continue home, and once we are there I can heal you. The journey should only take one more day. Then we will arrive and get everything figured out. Alright?** _ She nodded and he continued. **_I would prefer to carry you, but I will ask what you would prefer. Are you alright with me carrying you?_**

She hesitated before shaking her head. She didn't like depending on others, and being a hindrance. She also would prefer to be able to run if things went south.

He sighed but nodded his head. Very well, but if your condition worsens I will carry you regardless. She huffed a little but nodded. **_Then follow me._**

And she did. For hours and hours and her body was aching from keeping up with him, but she refused to fall any farther behind or make him carry her. They walked mostly in silence and she longed to ask him questions. But she couldn't. She unconsciously let out a small, frustrated (adorable Severus thought) growl, causing the other panther to glance at her. He turned back around, saying nothing, and aggravating her growing frustration.

This is how they continued until nightfall. By now Harri was having trouble walking and pain was radiating through her entire body. The other panther turned around, and seeing her so far behind him, went to pick her up. She was so exhausted she didn't even struggle, she only curled her up as she swayed in his jaws.

 ** _We are almost there Little One so be assured. There is a place to rest very close._** Harri let out a tiny purr and felt her eyes drifting shut, once again, as she was rocked in his jaws. She tried to keep her eyes open, but inevitably lost the battle to her exhaustion sinking into a deep sleep.

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Severus felt that the entire situation was surreal. The little cub was the most precious thing he'd ever laid eyes on. She was so small and innocent, yet he could see depths of great pain in her eyes. She brought out instincts he had never felt before. He wanted to protect her and hurt anyone who touched her or even looked at her wrong.

He was scared of these feelings. He hadn't felt this in a long time. And he wasn't sure why he was suddenly feeling like this because of a random cub he found in the forest.

Getting attached was dangerous. But he didn't think he'd be able to stop himself.


End file.
